Uterine infection, spent the weekend in the hospital

[Eaglevoice]

So last thursday evening, I noticed that my pelvis was a little bit sore. It was sort of like the soreness in my pelvic bone at the end of my pregnancy, but more of an achiness than I had felt before. And it seemed to radiate around my entire pelvic girdle, not just my pubis symphasis area. I went to sleep and woke up on Friday morning and noticed that the achiness was worse. By the afternoon, it was really bothering me to walk and I felt it sort of shooting down into my legs. Then I noticed that I felt a little feverish. I called my mw to let her know what was going on, because I was getting a little concerned thinking that this was something I had never experienced before. I didn't get ahold of my mw, so I called her apprentice. She told me that it sounded like I had mastitis. She said that she had seen where women got mastitis without any pain in their breasts and they just felt a general achiness all over. I hung up the phone, but I wasn't convinced that it was mastitis, but just in case, I hopped in the shower and tried to massage out anything that felt like it could be a clogged duct. Though, the fact that my milk had only come in a few days before, I was kind of engorged and could really tell if what I was feeling was plugged ducts or just normal engorgement. I still wasn't convinced that it was just mastitis, I got on the computer and googled some info about different pelvic infections. It sort of scared me when I read about the risks of letting a uterine infection go untreated. But I wasn't in a ton of pain and I didn't have all of the symptoms that were listed, so I went to sleep, hoping everything would work itself out. I woke up at 6 am shivering uncontrollably. I knew that this was a sign that my body was fighting some sort of major infection, be it breast, uterine or something else. I called my mw and told her about it and she told me that I definitely needed to go and get antibiotics. After weighing my options, I decided that I probably should go to the ER because I just sort of "knew" that it was worse than my mw and her apprentice thought. So off we went, thinking I'd have a few tests done, and I'd be home in a couple of hours with some abx. It was so weird to be in a hospital and telling all the nurses, that no, I didn't have my baby there, I had her at home, etc. So the dr came in and they wanted to get a urine sample, but since I was still bleeding, they had to get one with a catheter (ick!). Then they did an internal exam. Then I had to get my blood taken. Then they inserted an IV to get me more hydrated. Then I had to get an external and endo-vaginal ultrasound done. I was joking with my dh that I had avoided all these tests and ultrasounds during pregnancy, just to end up getting them after the baby was born. The gynecologist came in at that point and told me that they saw something in my u/s and she was going to go and discuss it further with the radiologist. She came back a while later and told me that they needed to do a D&C because they there was definitely something in the top part of my fundus. They couldn't tell if it was placenta, part of the amniotic sac, or just a big blood clot that didn't dislodge. And they were really concerned because I had a very high fever of 103. She then told me that because of my fever they wanted me to stay in the hospital overnight after the surgery to be monitored for possible pelvic thrombosis (blood clots) and such. When they told me this I asked if my baby could stay with me since she was only 7 days old. At first they said it was unlikely that she would be allowed to stay. I then told the dr that I would leave AMA if my baby was not allowed to stay in the hospital with me. I really stood my ground. My mom and DH were talking to everyone they could while I was in pre-op trying to get to the right people to convince them to let my baby stay with me. Well, they got through and they actually said that my dh had to stay the night as well if the baby was staying just in case something happened to me. AND they posted a security guard outside of my room the entire time I was there because they weren't allowed to put an id band on my baby since she wasn't a patient, so they would have no way of knowing if someone were trying to steal her!! Wow, crazy. So anyway, I had the surgery, stayed the night in the hospital, my fever went away, and I feel a million times better now. The GYN said that she would call me in a few days with the pathology results so we could find out exactly what it was that caused the infection. Oh, and the craziest thing is that the GYN actually said that they way I chose to birth my baby (home water birth) had nothing to do with the infection that it was a fluke thing that happened to a very small percentage of women who deliver vaginally and it would have happened even if I had delivered in the hospital. I knew this already, but to hear that come out of her mouth was really shocking! Oh, and the nurse that was there during my pre-op and my operation had two homebirths with my midwife! Sorry this was so long. I guess I just really needed to write the whole thing out to help me process it all...

[Willzmama]

Wow, that is CRAZY. I'm glad you are feeling better! And good for you for insisting that your baby stay with you. It sounds like they came around in a good way, having your DH stay and the security guard, etc. But wow, keep us posted about the pathology report.

[MommyTeesa]

holy cow, Jenn, that stinks! So glad you followed your intuition and went in. take care and glad you are feeling so much better.

[darsmama]

I hope you feel a LOT better soon.

[happyhippimama]

Glad you're feeling better.

[mum4boys]

I am so sorry you had to go through this.

I went through something very similar about 2 weeks ago. Luckily for me I was able to stay out of the hospital. I told my dr. there was no way I could be hospitalized without the baby and having 4 boys plus John had no timeo from work. Anyway I went to twice daily dr. apts. for 8 days for shots of antibotics and then went to twice to 2 days apart and then I just went on thursday and I do not have to go back for 2 weeks.

Get better soon. Its the pits.

[christyc]

Wow! I'm so glad you're okay, and that the hospital stay wasn't as bad as it could have been.

[InPhoenix]

Good for you for going to the ER: I had an infection following my c section and spent a weekend in the hospital on IV antibiotics followed by home nursing visits for several weeks. But when I first noticed symptoms, I was told by the on-call doctor at my OB's office that it was nothing and that I should just go to bed and see how I felt in the morning. Instead, I hung up the phone and had DH drive me directly to the ER.

I chose not to bring my baby to the hospital, though. Like you, I never expected to be admitted so DH had dropped me off and returned home with DS. He was just 10 days old when I was admitted, and I was really worried about having him exposed to the germs. The ER doctor was great and tried to get me into the maternity ward so I could room with my DS, but the ward was full- there was even a waitlist of moms who'd given birth who couldn't get rooms in maternity. The ER doctor told me that I have DS with me in the private room on the regular ward, but I was still worried so he arranged for a hospital provided breastpump in my room and a supply of bottles for milk storage from the NICU.

I'm still torn about whether that was the right thing to do: I think it was safer for DS, but it sabotaged breast feeding, and I haven't been able to get my supply back up to where I'm breastfeeding 100%. (we had no one to watch DS while DH picked up the pumped milk, so I was pumping and storing all of these bottles while DH had no choice but to supplement with formula at home). Pumping is NOT the same as breastfeeding and my supply diminished a lot during that weekend.

[mum4boys]

Oh wow I cannot believe your the on call dr. did not listen to you. I called my dr. on a Saturday afternoon and he said I had two choices either go to the ER or meet him at the clinic. I of course choose the clinic. He did warn me I had a good chance of being hospitalized but like I said before I was fortunate I had great drs. (my family practice dr and ob worked together) and they did everything in their power to keep me at home.

I hope breast feeding is more successful for you. Try to drink lots of water and at least pump if you cannot get the baby to latch. The more you pump or feed the more milk you will make.

[emiLy]

Wow, I am glad you did what you needed to do and got the help you needed. I had pain-that-makes-you-shiver 6 days post partum and I was really scared it was an infection, but I had no fever and it turned out mine was "just" gas and poop. The security guard thing is amazing!

[clavicula]

hope you are better now! take care!

[kittn]

oh Jenn you poor thimg. how scary. im glad you are feeling better and that baby got to go too.

when I had my first child i too got a uterine infection that I foolishly ignored for 6 days.i ended up in the hospital for over 2 weeks! the baby came too since i refused to go without him. my mother stayed with me for the same reason and they put me in ped's unit.
for me it turned out to be a second sack that never developed, absored or passed. it was really scary

so take your time and be well dear one

[Eaglevoice]

Thanks for all the support and well wishes, ladies. It really means a lot. I am feeling so much better today. What a relief to be over all of that.

[veganbaby]

Hugs! Good thing you are so in tune with your body. Glad you are feeling a lot better!

[aran]

Glad to hear you made it through smoothly. It's really scary to have major health concerns and a new baby to care for at the same time. I have been in and out of the ER and Dr. office since my c/s with some problems that aren't yet resolved, so I totally hear you.